Simon Cotton, chief executive of Johnstons of Elgin, talks about the textiles industry, living in Scotland, and manufacturing goods in-house....
What is Johnstons of Elgin?
We are the largest UK employer in textile manufacturing, with just over 1000 staff.
Founded in 1797, we make fabrics used by luxury brands as well as selling our own goods such as scarves and ties at our shops, including our flagship on Bond Street, and online.
What do you do?
I could be talking to a production manager about an innovation in our two mills in Scotland or planning an e-commerce strategy. We have offices in London, Tokyo, Düsseldorf, New York and Paris I travel to often.
I sometimes head to China and Mongolia where the firm’s fibre is collected.
What do you enjoy?
I am grateful to have the most fantastic people working here. I also get a big lift when I see some of our fabrics going down a runway in Paris or Milan.
What don’t you like?
As we do every single stage of manufacturing in-house, every single process has to work perfectly or the next stage will suffer. Most textile makers can easily switch suppliers if something goes wrong. We don’t rely on third parties, so if there are ever any glitches it is down to us.
What was your biggest break?
I grew up near Edinburgh and studied marketing and business law at the University of Strathclyde. I have worked for many manufacturers, including casual clothing maker Russell Athletic. Five years ago it was a brave move by the private family owners to bring in someone who had never worked in the luxury textiles sector.
It is honestly the most enjoyable role I have ever done.
And setback?
In my first role as a managing director I joined kitchens and bathrooms firm Carron Phoenix. It was the start of the 2007-2008 housing recession. It was a baptism of fire as Brits tightened spending on doing up their homes.
Your work/home life balance?
I have a 12-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son. I travel a lot with work so when I am in Scotland I try to make sure that I do get home at a reasonable time. It helps that I live in the countryside very close to the mill and turning off is easy when you have chickens in the back yard.
My wife runs a charity working with children affected by the Chernobyl disaster and I never know how many children will be in the house when I come home.
Any tips?
Treat everyone you meet with respect and remember that you will look back on everything you thought you knew today and realise it was wrong.
